RAL 330-3

Long time ago, in the heart of Industriaville, where factories hummed like well-fed bees and warehouses stretched as far as the eye could see, there was one factory unlike the rest: "Yamamoto Techno-Magic." There, deep in the bowels of the building, worked Doctor Manolo Yamamoto, the most brilliant (and possibly eccentric) industrial designer the world had ever known. He was a man obsessed with one thing above all - finding the perfect color. And after years of research, sketching, testing, and a lot of spilled paint cans, he had discovered it: RAL 330-3.

"Tommy!" Manolo shouted one morning, his voice echoing through the metallic labyrinth of pipes and machinery.

Tommy Gonzalez, the factory's cleaner and part-time philosopher, was mopping the floor, humming to himself. "Yes, Doctor?" he said, without looking up.

"Come here at once! I've done it. I've finally done it!" Manolo declared, his lab coat flapping like the cape of a mad scientist in a low-budget movie.

Tommy sighed, set his mop against the wall, and ambled over to the lab. He was used to the doctor's wild proclamations. Last month, Manolo had claimed he invented "self-peeling oranges," but all he managed was a bunch of angry oranges covered in holes.

"What's the excitement this time, Doc?" Tommy asked, arms crossed.

Manolo held up a small canister. "Behold! RAL 330-3!"

Tommy blinked. "RAL what now?"

"RAL 330-3! The color to end all colors! The hue that will revolutionize industrial design! Factories, cars, furniture, roller coasters - everything will change. This shade is perfect! It's a combination of burgundy, turquoise, and…something magical. I don't even know what to call it. But it's mesmerizing!"

Tommy stared at the canister with one eyebrow raised. "You sure it's not just paint?"

"No!" Manolo practically danced across the room. "It's the future! The essence of progress!"

The cleaner scratched his head. "What makes it so special?"

Manolo paused dramatically, as though waiting for thunder to roll and lightning to strike. "When this color is applied to any surface, it increases efficiency by 42%. Productivity skyrockets! Worker morale soars! It even makes coffee taste better. Tommy, this is no ordinary color. It's a phenomenon. It's - it's art and science combined!"

Tommy squinted at the canister. "You tested it?"

Manolo hesitated. "Well…not exactly. But I have a very good feeling about it."

Tommy's skepticism was growing. "You want me to paint something with it?"

"Yes!" Manolo said, eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Take this! Paint the entire cafeteria with RAL 330-3! Watch as the employees are transformed by its brilliance."

"Alright, Doc. Whatever you say."

And so, with mop abandoned and canister in hand, Tommy set to work. He painted the cafeteria from top to bottom in RAL 330-3. The walls shimmered with a color no one could quite describe. Was it reddish-green? Blueish-purple? Or some sort of cosmic shade only visible to aliens? No one could agree. But one thing was certain - this color was weird.

The next day, the factory workers shuffled into the cafeteria, bleary-eyed and desperate for coffee. But something strange happened. As soon as they entered, their eyes widened, their spines straightened, and their faces lit up with joy.

"What is this place?!" one worker exclaimed.

"Did someone put something in the coffee?" another whispered.

But no - it was the RAL 330-3 at work. Productivity did rise, just as Manolo predicted. Workers sang while assembling car parts. Forklift drivers performed intricate dance routines between pallets. Even the vending machine started dispensing snacks faster. It was a miracle!

Except for one tiny problem. After three days, the effects of RAL 330-3 became…a little too effective.

One evening, Tommy noticed the workers refusing to leave. "Hey, guys, the shift's over!" he called out.

"No time for that!" one worker yelled, tightening bolts at lightning speed. "We've got progress to make!"

By midnight, the workers were still going. No one could stop. Even Manolo seemed affected, sketching new designs at breakneck speed, mumbling about "the future of metallic toasters." The vending machine was now producing so many candy bars it threatened to flood the cafeteria.

"Doc," Tommy said, cornering Manolo between a stack of blueprints and a pile of coffee cups, "I think your color's a little too powerful."

Manolo, his eyes wild and bloodshot, glanced up. "Nonsense! This is progress!"

"Nobody's slept in two days," Tommy pointed out.

"Sleep is for the weak!" Manolo proclaimed before collapsing into a snoring heap.

Realizing the crisis had gone too far, Tommy grabbed a can of industrial-strength white paint. The only way to stop the madness was to paint over the RAL 330-3. With great effort, he covered every inch of the cafeteria, neutralizing the strange power of the color.

The next morning, the workers awoke, bleary-eyed and groggy, unsure of why they'd been assembling car parts in their sleep. Manolo woke up in his lab, confused but relieved.

"Maybe RAL 330-3 was a little too revolutionary," he admitted, rubbing his temples.

Tommy just grinned. "Maybe next time, Doc, we'll stick with beige."

And thus, the legend of RAL 330-3 faded into Industriaville's history, a color so powerful it couldn't be contained. But every now and then, when the sun hit the cafeteria walls just right, you could still catch a glimpse of something extraordinary - something that could've changed the world...if only the world could handle it.